When was the last time you really considered what your personal values are? How does your current situation align with those values?
Personal values can serve as a guide for the way we show up in life. They highlight what we stand for, and what we won’t stand for. Values also contribute to our identity and help make us unique. They can serve as a personal code of conduct.
When we are working with our clients on their own personal journey of self-discovery, we often invite an exploration of personal values. Knowing our personal values can help us to stay true to ourselves as we navigate life or perhaps serve as red flag if things are feeling out of balance.
The latest issue of Psychology Today features the following exercise based on the Value Living Questionnaire by Kelly G. Wilson.
- Rate Your Domains.
Consider the following life areas, and rate their importance on a scale of 1 to 10 (1=less important; 10 = highly important). This is for you and no one else. There are no right or wrong answers:
- Family (other than marriage or parenting)
- Marriage, couples, intimate relations
- Parenting
- Friends, social life
- Work
- Education, training
- Recreation, fun
- Spirituality
- Citizenship, community life
- Physical self-care (diet, exercise, sleep)
- Environmental concerns
- Art, creative expression, and aesthetics
- Rate Your Consistency
Look at the life areas above once more, but this time rate yourself on how consistent your actions have been with your values.
- Write Down Your Values
Take a look at your answers from the previous exercises and identify the domains that have a high score of importance, 9 or 10, and a low score , 6 or less, in actions. These are the areas that need your attention.
Write down your values in one of your previously identified domains. Ask yourself: “What do I care about in this area?” “What do I want to do in this area that reflects this caring?” “What can I do to manifest this value more in my life?”
Writing about your values has a measurable effect on your health and behaviour, and this is only the beginning. There are many ways to connect deeply with your purpose and live in alignment with your goals and values. Consider doing a collage of your values using images and words that represent who you are and how you want to be in this life. Revisit it throughout the year as a form of check in.
Living consistently with your values is not only about knowing what is important to you, but also about behaving in ways that are consistent with these principles. Our values shift and change over time.
How are you choosing and committing to live consistently with your values?
